The Buzz from WCEDA - upcoming networking events you won't want to miss and much more... |
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WCEDA is your source for all things business - workforce, expansions, location resources, financial connections, legislative advocacy, career awareness with youth, networking events, and initiatives to address county-wide issues like housing. |
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In this email... Upcoming Events l Membership News Workforce News l County Developments Economic Indicators l Other News
Valuable Resources |
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| WCEDA 20th Anniversary Sponsor
We proudly acknowledge our 20th Anniversary Sponsor, whose support allows WCEDA to deliver valuable programs, insights, and connections to the businesses and communities we serve. Their commitment helps ensure a thriving future for Walworth County. |
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A few words from WCEDA's Executive Director, Derek D'Auria ... |
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| Welcome, Reed Construction!
Why support WCEDA? We are a 501(c)(6) non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of life for Walworth County residents by working with public and private sector partners to advance efforts that create jobs and build private sector investment in our communities. We host events for local businesses that connect them with resources and education to facilitate their growth. [Learn more]
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WCEDA's 2nd Annual Walworth County Pro/Am Culinary Showdown Sunday, | January 25 | 2026 Noon-2pm Lake Lawn Resort The wait is over—our Pro/Am Culinary Showdown teams and their countries have been revealed! Let the culinary creativity begin. From Thailand to Italy, Morocco to Germany and France, each chef/student team is ready to bring bold global flavors to life in this year’s “Around the World” competition. Last year tickets sold out, so get yours now. You don't miss this exciting and fun event!
For sponsorship opportunities click here.
Check out last year's event here. |
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| WCEDA Member Holiday Party
Thursday | January 15 | 2026 5pm to 8pm, Elkhorn Chamber of Commerce Are you a member of WCEDA or the Elkhorn Chamber of Commerce?
If so, we cordially invite you to join us for a night of holiday fun!
Drinks | Food | Networking |
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| WCEDA's 20th Anniversary Annual Meeting
Reflecting on Two Decades of Impact Across Walworth County November 19, 2025
Grand Geneva Resort & Spa What a special afternoon celebrating two decades of driving business success, workforce development, and economic vitality in Walworth County! This year marks our 20th Anniversary—and we commemorated it with a can’t-miss program. Craig C. Culver, founder and owner of Culver's, was our keynote speaker. Craig shared his remarkable journey of entrepreneurship, grit, and growth—offering inspiring insights for businesses of all sizes.
Thank you for 20 years of growth and development in Walworth County! |
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This year's David Bretl Community Betterment Award was presented to Chris Trottier. Chris was recognized for his years of exceptional service to students in southeastern Wisconsin by forging strong connections between classrooms and local employers—expanding youth apprenticeships, promoting hands-on learning, and developing programs that prepare students not only for careers, but for meaningful futures.
The recipient of this year's Grow My Business Award was Elkhorn-based business, Palmer Hamilton. Preston Gardner was honored to accept the award on the company's behalf and spoke about Palmer Hamilton's investment cultivating a skilled workforce, and doubling its output while remaining deeply committed to our local community. Congratulations to both of these well-deserving recipients and thank you for the work you do in and throughout Walworth County!
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| WCEDA also recognized outgoing Board Members, Casey Himebauch of Adams and Greg Brown of Baker Tilly. Thank you both for your years of service to WCEDA and our mission!
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Gold Sponsors:
Adams, Associated Bank, Aurora Health Care, First National Bank and Trust, G10, Inc., Gage Marine, Gateway Technical College, Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, Integra, Lakes Area Realtors® Association, UW- Whitewater, Visit Lake Geneva Silver Sponsors:
Allan ICS, Baker Tilly, Community State Bank, Corporate Contractors, Inc., Edge Broadband, FairWyn, Invenergy, Lake Lawn Resort, Plas-Tech Engineering, PremierBank, Royal Basket Trucks, Town Bank |
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| Attention businesses!
Get out your schedules because it's time to get some Career-Based Learning Experiences on the calendar! We are looking to meet with member businesses to come up with some dates for the current school year. Here are some ideas for experiences you might want to consider offering.
Look for an email or call from Leslie Gostomski, or schedule a meeting at your convenience here.
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Overwear Apparel Group November 17, 2025 |
| What an amazing season of YouthBuild career experiences!
Through WCEDA’s Kareers4Kids program, students explored a wide range of careers and met incredible people who took time to inspire them. Here’s a look back at all the places they visited this fall: Huge thank you to every business and professional who welcomed these students and showed them what’s possible. Your time, encouragement, and honesty made a big difference. We’re excited to keep growing these opportunities in the year ahead! Reach out to Leslie if you are interested in hosting local students or educators at your facility! |
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| Spanish for Business
Organizations in Wisconsin increasingly operate with bilingual, culturally diverse workforces. When language and cultural gaps exist between supervisors and front-line employees, important information can be misunderstood—affecting safety, quality, and productivity. This 45-hour program strengthens communication across English- and Spanish-speaking team members using job-specific Spanish, cultural competency, and real manufacturing scenarios.
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Click on the image to get the PDF
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| Fundamentals of Leadership
Leadership isn’t built in a day—it’s cultivated through coaching, practice, and reflection. WCEDA’s Fundamentals of Leadership program helps emerging and existing leaders develop the soft skills that drive measurable results: better communication, higher engagement, and stronger teams. Our approach goes beyond traditional “training.” Participants are coached to apply what they learn—turning ideas into habits, and habits into measurable improvement. Over sixteen weeks, each module focuses on core outcomes:
- Improved Communication Skills that build clarity and trust
- Priority Identification that aligns teams around what truly matters
- Conflict Resolution that strengthens workplace culture
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Bad Behavior Management that prevents toxicity from spreading
- Worker Engagement that drives retention and productivity
- Avoidance of Harassment and Discrimination that safeguards every employee
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Development of Leadership Tools that create consistency across the organization
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| Top Level Leadership
Bringing together senior and executive-level managers who are dedicated to creating not only the most technically proficient organizations but the healthiest, most nimble teams and dynamic organizational cultures.
This advanced leadership series isn’t a one-off course. We’re presenting an opportunity to join others and work with an expert in organizational psychology, organizational development and change leadership on building the human side of your business. We know that our local business community is the most technically capable out there. We also know that what prevents us from realizing our greatness has a human face. |
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CDL Permit Preparation (458-405E)
December 12–14, 2025 | Horizon Center – Room 111 | $195 Get on the fast track to earning your Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP) with our three-day CDL Permit Prep Crash Course.
Learn from experienced instructors, take practice exams, and walk away confident and permit-ready. Instructor: Christopher Jones
Questions? jonesg@gtc.edu Concealed Carry Firearms Safety (504-465E)
January 10, 2026 | Kenosha Campus – Academic Building, Room G001 | $86
This course fulfills all training requirements under Wisconsin Statute 175.60(4) for civilians seeking a concealed carry license. Gain essential safety knowledge, legal understanding, and responsible handling practices in a supportive, hands-on environment.
Instructor: Jimmie Spino
Questions? spinoj@gtc.edu |
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Lean Six Sigma Courses
Register now for online Lean Six Sigma (LSS) courses happening this spring, and start the New Year off right! - 12-Week Lean Manufacturing Principles
- 12-Week LSS Green Belt - Part A
- 12-Week LSS Green Belt - Part B
- 12-Week LSS Green to Black Belt
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Questions? Contact Rick Lofy at lofyr@gtc.edu or 262-215-6725.
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About WCEDA's Workforce Housing Program
Over the course of the past three years, housing has become an increasing priority for us (WCEDA) to address. Many counties in the region are facing similar challenges and are in various stages of addressing this issue — an issue that may be the number one barrier for workforce at the moment... Go to WCEDA's Housing Page to learn more.
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| WCEDA News Notes Monthly Housing Newsletter
Would you like to stay up to date on the progress of WCEDA's Housing Initiative to address workforce housing in our county? Let us know and we'll add you to the News Notes email list! Email pam@walworthbusiness.com. |
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Legislative Changes Could Reshape Workforce Housing Development State lawmakers are considering a set of workforce housing reforms that could dramatically change how communities support new residential development—particularly through an expanded use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF).
A key provision under discussion involves establishing “Pay As You Go” Workforce Housing Tax Increment Districts (TIDs). Under this model, a portion of the new property-tax revenue generated by homes within a development can be used to offset the cost of the infrastructure needed to build that subdivision. Streets, curbs, utility extensions, and water and sewer lines—typically major cost drivers for developers—could be partially reimbursed through the dedicated TID revenue stream.
Supporters say the approach could lower development costs and encourage construction of smaller, more modestly priced homes that help fill the state’s increasingly strained “missing middle” housing market.
TIF is already a widely used economic development tool, allowing cities to reinvest future tax gains from a project back into that project or related improvements. Historically, however, many municipalities have used TIF sparingly for housing—often restricting it to developments serving low-income households earning below 60% of area median income (AMI).
The proposed legislation marks a shift. Communities would be able to establish or extend TIF districts to support housing for middle-income workers, a change many local officials and developers have advocated for years. They argue that without incentives for moderate-priced units, communities will struggle to meet both affordability goals and population-growth targets.
If approved, the bill could create new opportunities for communities across the state—including those in Walworth County, where agricultural zoning surrounds many municipal borders and infrastructure expansion remains a significant hurdle to new construction. Local leaders say partnering with developers through TIF could offer a strategic path to increasing available workforce housing.
As the legislation continues moving through committee discussions, municipalities are watching closely. Many see the potential TIF/TID expansion as a tool that could finally bridge the gap between rising demand for middle-income housing and the high costs of bringing new subdivisions online. |
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Community Outreach Offerings
WCEDA Member Aurora Health offers a variety of community outreach offerings. Check out opportunities available December - February by clicking HERE.
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Broadband Assessment
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is running a regional broadband assessment in an effort to bring broadband to more Wisconsinites. The first step in the process is to conduct speed testing across the region. To take the test, residents and businesses simply need to visit, from their home or work location. It will only take a few moments and personal information is always protected and never shared. [Take the Test]
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NEWS ALERT! Zoning Scam
We continue to receive reports of fraudulent emails and invoices that appear to be official correspondence from our zoning and planning staff. These fraudulent solicitations direct residents to promptly pay an invoice via wire transfer so the department can finalize a zoning permit. These scams are extremely sophisticated, appear professional, use our official logo on what appears to be official letterhead, and may even use the names of Walworth County zoning and planning employees to appear legitimate. These emails were not sent by Walworth County zoning staff, and the department would never send emails requesting wire transfers in exchange for permits. Please do not respond to these notices, and exercise caution with any unsolicited email you receive. Red flags that indicate the email is fraudulent include:
- Suspicious contact information not affiliated with Walworth County. All emails from Walworth County’s Land Use division end with @co.walworth.wi.us.
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Pressure to pay promptly via wire transfer. The Land Use and Resource Management Department accepts cash, checks, or credit card payments and will never send unsolicited emails pressuring residents to pay zoning application fees.
Anyone who receives a suspicious email or invoice should avoid making payments and call the Walworth County Land Use and Resource Management office at (262) 741-4972. |
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To read more about each indicator, visit the newsletter section of our website here. |
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According to the BLS current population survey (CPS), the unemployment rate for Wisconsin rose 0.1 percentage points in November 2023 to 3.3%. The state unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points lower than the... |
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10-2 Year Treasury Yield Spread is at 0.59%, compared to 0.57% the previous market day and 0.06% last year. This is lower than the long term average of 0.85%....[More] |
| New orders for manufactured durable goods in August, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $8.9 billion or 2.9 percent to $312.1 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced... |
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Average Crude Oil Spot Price is at a current level of 62.34, down from 63.04 last month and down from 72.29 one year ago. This is a change of -1.12% from last month and -13.77% from one year ago...[More] |
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| DNR Launches The Environmental Responsibility Navigator New Tool Helps Small Businesses With Environmental Compliance
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in honor of National Small Business Week, launched the new Environmental Responsibility Navigator (Enviro-Nav) to help small businesses with environmental compliance.
This tool, which was funded through the 2023-2025 state budget, provides a one-stop shop for businesses to easily understand the environmental requirements that apply to them, including those related to air pollution, water use/discharge and waste generation.
All types of businesses can benefit from the information offered in Enviro-Nav, and... [Learn More] |
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| SBA Lender Match
Get $500 to $5.5 million to help you grow your business! SBA-backed loans range from small to large and can be used for most business purposes, including long-term fixed assets and operating capital. Connect with an SBA-approved lender: https://www.sba.gov/lendermatch
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| SBA Disaster Assistance Program Webinar
Free Webinar for business owners to learn more about disaster assistance programs from SBA and other resource partners. Click the following link for more information and to register. [Learn More] |
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| WWBIC New Resources & Partners
WWBIC is offering more diverse trainings and events now than ever before! Fill out their updated Client/Business Information form by clicking the link below to make sure that you will be notified once any grants, networking events and more are available! [Form]
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| Property Values and Taxes DataTool
This DataTool explores key trends in statewide property values and tax levies, which are important indicators of the state's economic health, the cost borne by taxpayers, and the finances of its local governments. In this streamlined interactive format, users can view separate analyses of southeast Wisconsin and Dane County data, or explore the statewide data themselves, filtering by municipality or county to easily create custom reports.
Check out the tool |
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Small Business Development Grant (SBDG) The Small Business Development Grant (SBDG) Program will offer financial incentives for communities and organizations to develop innovative programs that directly support small businesses and small business creation. [Learn More] |
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Wisconsin Green Innovation Fund
When more Wisconsinites can participate in our state’s clean energy transition, we’ll reach our environmental and energy independence goals faster. That’s where the Green Innovation Fund comes in. The Green Innovation Fund leverages public and private funds to invest in strategic energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that benefit traditionally underserved businesses, residents, and communities across Wisconsin. By facilitating the widespread adoption of clean energy technologies, the Fund will ultimately improve overall quality of life in our state. [Learn More]
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| RelyLocal
The national economy depends heavily on the health of local economies, and the local economy depends on the health of the local businesses. Local businesses not only contribute to the local economy, but are the foundation of a healthy community overall. Our goal? To develop strategies to support local businesses (across the country) by Developing new solutions to support local businesses, creating local campaigns to revitalize local communities, and putting America back to work. [Learn More]
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| Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE)
C-PACE is a property tax-assessment financing mechanism for energy & water
efficiency and renewable energy improvements to commercial properties. Benefits include: finance up to 100% of hard + soft costs, fixed rate, long-term: 20 – 30 years, tenants share cost & savings, transfers to new owner upon sale, potential off-balance sheet treatment, reduce waste & improve experience. [Learn More - PDF, Webpage]
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| WCEDA Loan Program
Are you having trouble getting a loan? Are your revenues under $1 million? WCEDA may be able to HELP. We have a loan program through the USDA for small businesses called the Hometown Entrepreneur Loan Program (HELP) that aims to help small business access capital. Many times we can work with banks or other programs like SBA or WHEDA to make a loan work for companies.
[APPLICATION]
[ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES] [CONTACT WCEDA]
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| Workplace Financial Solutions
Associated Bank offers a FREE program for employers and employees: Workplace Financial Solutions. The WFS program is dedicated to providing individuals with the education and resources needed to build long-term financial stability. Providing comprehensive financial literacy services designed to equip clients with the knowledge and confidence needed to make informed financial decisions and achieve peace of mind. [Learn More]
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Walworth County business, Offline Wine, took 3rd place at the Kenosha Innovation Center's "Perfect Pitch" Competition and received a $1,500 prize.The competition was akin to the reality TV show “Shark Tank,” where contestants attempt to convince investors their innovation or idea deserves support. Pitch Perfect marked one of the first major events at the center, which presenters look to continue in the future. [more]
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| Congratulations to all these entrepreneurs! |
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Sara Nichols of Open Arms Free Clinic Named One of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Milwaukee. Read all about it HERE. |
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FROM ALL OF US HERE AT WCEDA |
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